Game 141: Tigers at Twins

PREGAME: Hey, it’s a trip to the Metrodome. Whoopee. It’s also a travel day with the team not getting until today because of the RNC sucking up all the hotel rooms.

The good news is that the Tigers send Armando Galarraga to the hill. The bad news is the Twins seem to be his nemesis. Not in a Justin Verlander fears the Indians way, but Galarraga is 0 for 4 in QS against the Twinks (although he was just an out short of one the last time.

The other bad news is that Francisco Liriano is pitching for the Twins. And he’s kinda really good. In his last 4 starts he’s allowed 5 runs total with 19 K’s and 6 walks and only one homer allowed.

Game Time 8:10
POSTGAME: Galarraga looked eerily like bad Jeremy Bonderman last night. You know the Bondo, where his 2 seam fastball tails way into the right hand batters box. But where the catcher and the pitcher don’t seem to make the adjustment, so the catcher still sets up on the outside corner only to see the ball end up 3 feet off the plate? And so he goes to his slider more, but it’s the only pitch that’s really working, and then he inevitably hangs one? Yeah, thought we saw that script before.

Marcus Thames gets the position player gold star. He dove twice (once successfully), and hammered two homers. I know the Tigers have tipped their cap to the opposing starter way to often this season. But Ervin Santana and Francisco Liriano back to back is pretty daunting. Still, the Tigers seemed to look extra helpless last night.

19 Comments

If we have anything to look forward to, I might like it to be being spoilers for the Twins. I’ve hated them since 1987!

cib

September 5, 2008 at 8:25 pm

Now even the Gallaraga magic seems to have left the building. I’ve gotta find something else to do for a while -

marcy... stuck in the lab

September 5, 2008 at 8:28 pm

no more magic?!!! i’m stuck at work and have no idea what’s going on how much worse is it going to get this season…

yak

September 5, 2008 at 9:42 pm

Wow. 3 comments. Make it 4!!!

David

September 5, 2008 at 9:49 pm

Just in case you think I died – I’m here – go tigs!
anyone remember when i said on opening day that shef was injured =P

lets get brando out behind the plate, we’ve got him b/c he is the best infielder/outfielder in the league, why use him at his one position (besides catcher/and no dh is not a position) that he isn’t superb at.

marcy... stuck in the lab

September 5, 2008 at 9:53 pm

just checked the box score… guess i’m not missin much. rough

mark_in_gr

September 5, 2008 at 10:03 pm

I really think it’s time to seriously consider someone in the Tigers’s organization is throwing games. I mean, what else could explain this disaster. This team is deplorable at every aspect of the game, offense, defense, pitching, managing, coaching and the front office.

I get a little sick of hearing Leland say that the other team, well, they just had it working tonight, or their pitcher, well, he’s got great stuff . . . it’s Leland’s job to ensure that HIS guys have great stuff, and he just hasn’t done it. Someone has to be held accountable for this debacle, but I doubt that Mr. Rogers impersonating GM/President/CEO/Bar Tender/Bus boy, or whatever the hell else title he comes up for himself will be held accountable.

yak

September 5, 2008 at 10:21 pm

Well as of now, they would draft 12th. Maybe they are trying to get into the top ten???

ron

September 6, 2008 at 1:35 am

Thank God for the pitiful Yankees (9 games over .500), or we would be taking a bigger hit on the national sports scene. Between the two, a record of 142 and 138, 360 million in salaries and unbelievable fan support. They must be laughing all the way to the bank.

stephen

September 6, 2008 at 1:55 am

On Monday, Ken Singleton, the Yankees broadcaster, mentioned that he talked to a few scouts who talked over and over about how they could see individual Tigers giving up at-bats and going through the motion for the better part of the month.
This I find more disgusting than anything else. We could argue all about injuries and the like, but when a team predicted to go, at the very least, to the playoffs ends up going 77-85 instead, someone’s got to get canned. It may be Dombro, Leyland and/or Hernandez or one of the three, but there is absolutely no way they all come back next year. There has to be a significant and public change at the GM, manager, or the pitching coach level.

No change would be like if Lincoln left McClellan in charge of the Union forces for the entire Civil War.

RudeMood19

September 6, 2008 at 2:39 am

pitching coach is gone…even tho he isnt totally to blame

how do u fix this team in the off season?

ron

September 6, 2008 at 3:22 am

Yeh, a slacker mentality is pretty disgusting in the professional sports world. If scouts are seeing this, why isn’t management seeing it too? I guess some millionaires get a free pass simply because they’re millionaires. Speaking of millions, how do you fix this team is the million dollar question.

Coleman

September 6, 2008 at 3:37 am

I know exactly how, but if I tell everyone I’ll never get my million dollars.

Which, by the way, I could really use right now…the price of ham being what it is and all…

ron

September 6, 2008 at 5:42 am

Try it out on Loony Bird and cut him in for 20 %. He’s not as closely involved with the team as you are (him getting information second hand and all) but you two seem the most rational of the bunch. He can step away from the bigger picture and fine tune the little insignificant things you may have forgotten about in your haste to get this proposal on Illitch’s desk ( such as the possibility that the squirrels sunning themselves and the ballboys sleeping in their chairs are distracting the players on the field).That idea of cutting the bench in half and making it into a seesaw for the players to use in between innings was a great idea and I hope you have included in your “FIX”. Now go make that sandwich out of that cheaper ham you’ve been buying lately. If you and Loony can make this happen, you’ll be picking out your own prime pig at the State Fair this fall.

Kathy

September 6, 2008 at 9:17 am

This team looked awful comin out of the gate. I would be shocked if DD fired Leyland. So, who would be a good manager for the Tigers at this point in time?

Dave BW

September 6, 2008 at 11:43 am

I actually fell asleep during this game. At ten o’ clock.

ron

September 6, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Dave DW, Those trips to Kroger for Faygo must be wearing you out. As far as a new manager, just check out the winning high school programs in the area. Probably a Palin laying in the weeds somewhere out there. Enough with the old school network.

Dave BW

September 6, 2008 at 3:19 pm

I’ve given up on Kroger. I’m all about Hiller’s now.

ron

September 6, 2008 at 3:37 pm

Did not know about Hillers. Checked it’s website. You went from the outhouse to the penthouse. The dog got tired of eating Kroger plain wrap? Looks like a terrific store.